Neobisium (Neobisium) battonii Beier, 1966

Gardini, Giulio, 2023, The troglomorphic pseudoscorpions of the genus Neobisium from Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy, with description of new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae), Zootaxa 5381 (1), pp. 1-67 : 25-27

Neobisium (Neobisium) battonii Beier, 1966

( Figs 45–47 , 119 )

Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) battonii Beier, 1966: 35 , fig. 1.

Type locality: Italy, Abruzzo, L’Aquila Province, San Demetrio ne’ Vestini , Grotta Risorgenze di Stiffe 17 A/AQ (42°15’15”N 13°32’28”E) .

Distribution. Italy (Abruzzo).

Diagnosis (♀). A subterranean, troglomorphic Neobisium from Abruzzo (Sirente-Velino Mountains) that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: posterior margin of carapace with 6 setae, epistome triangular, anterior eyes with weak lens, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes present; tergites I–IV: 6:6:6:6; cheliceral palm with 6 setae; fixed chelal finger homodentate, with contiguous teeth; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 118 and 103 teeth, respectively; pedipalpal femur 1.50 mm length (6.00 ×), patella 1.15 (4.03 ×), movable finger 1.62 mm; pedipalpal hand with long oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third, chelal fingers slightly curved both in dorsal and lateral view; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.51; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger 0.92; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.59; trichobothrium ist distal st, closer to the finger tip than to isb.

Type material examined. ITALY — Abruzzo: 1 ♀ (holotype), “Italie (Abruzzes): / Grotte Risorgenze di Stiffe , / S. Demetrio, Aquila, / leg. Dr. S. Battoni / Dépôt S. Battoni, XI.1978 ”; “ Neobisium (O.) / battonii / det. Beier n. sp. / Holotype”, ( NHNG). [Specimen glued onto cardboard, left chelicera missing, right pedipalp dissected and stored in glass capillary tube] .

Description of adult (♀; ♂ unknown). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown; pedipalps smooth. Carapace 1.02 times as long as broad, with four eyes with weak lens, with slightly darker integument between anterior and posterior eyes; anterior margin of carapace with broad-based triangular epistome; anterior and posterior margins of carapace with 4 and 6 macrosetae, respectively, preocular setae not seen. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–IV: 6:6:6:6. Chaetotaxy of sternites not seen. Cheliceral palm with 6 setae; movable finger with a prominent tooth at level of gs; spinneret prominent, hemispheric; rallum and serrulae not seen. Manducatory process with 3–4 setae [according to Beier (1966), but not seen]. Coxal setae not seen; anterolateral process of coxa I squat, anteromedial process broadly rounded with denticles. Pedipalp ( Figs 45–47 ; Beier 1966: 35, fig. 1): trochanter 2.65 times as long as broad, with 3 weak button-like tubercles (with lyrifissure) on antiaxial face; femur 6.0 times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 4.03 times as long as broad, club gradually enlarged distally ( Fig. 45 ), ratio between club and pedicel 2.3, ratio X/Y = 0.43, base of pedicel dorsally with three glandular pores; chela with pedicel 5.75 times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.46 times as long as broad, with long oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third (dorsal view); chelal fingers slightly curved both in dorsal and lateral view ( Figs 46–47 ); fixed chelal finger homodentate ( Fig. 47 ), with 118 pointed (worn?) contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 103 low, flattened contiguous teeth ( Fig. 47 ), apart from the distal ones the trichobothrium t, which are cuspidate; all teeth with dental canals; sensillum slightly closer to st than to sb; trichobothria as in figs 46–47 and Beier (1966: 35, fig. 1); relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.18/ et 0.185/ est 0.255 / ist 0.355/ isb 0.79/ ib 0.88/ esb 0.94/ eb 0.955/ t 0.21/ st 0.42/ sb 0.74/ b 0.90; trichobothrium est proximal t; trichobothrium ist distal st, closer to the finger tip than to isb; trichobothrium isb proximal sb; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.51; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.92; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.59. Leg IV: not seen.

Measurements. Body length 3.3. Carapace 0.94 × 0.92. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.65 × 0.245; femur 1.50 × 0.25; patella 1.15 × 0.285; chela with pedicel 2.50× 0.435 (depth 0.430); hand with pedicel length 1.07; movable finger length 1.62.

Remarks. Neobisium battonii was described by Beier (1966) based on a female from Abruzzo (Grotta Risorgenze di Stiffe 17 A/AQ, San Demetrio ne’ Vestini) and compared with N. henroti from Sardinia, and N. patrizii from Latium. For comparisons of N. battonii with N. henroti see Remarks under the latter species. Neobisium battonii differs from N. patrizii in the number of carapacal posterior setae (6 setae in N. battonii , 4 in N. patrizii ), in having smaller dimensions (pedipalpal femur length 1.50 mm in N. battonii , 2.07–2.41 mm in N. patrizii ; pedipalpal chela length 2.50 mm in N. battonii , 3.55–3.75 mm in N. patrizii ) and in having less slender appendages (pedipalpal femur femur 6.0 times as long as broad in N. battonii , 7.57–9.64 times as long as broad in N. patrizii ; chela with pedicel 5.75 times as long as broad in N. battonii , 6.82–7.95 times as long as broad in N. patrizii ).

Despite the opinion of Beier (1966), N. battonii seems to present more similarities with N. cerrutii of Latium (Ernici Mountains), with which it shares the number of setae (6) at the posterior margin of carapace and the shape of pedipalpal hand (see Remarks under N. cerrutii ).

Neobisium battonii differs from N. magrinii n. sp. and N. vignai n. sp., both species from Latium (Ausoni and Aurunci Mountains) having homodentate fixed chelal finger, in the number of carapacal posterior setae (6 setae in N. battonii , 4 in N. magrinii and in N. vignai ), in the number of chelal fixed finger teeth (118 in N. battonii , 130–159 in N. magrinii and in N. vignai ) and in many morphometric characters (see Key to species).

For comparisons of N. battonii with N. samniticum ―the other known species from Abruzzo ―and with N. sp. aff. patrizii see Remarks under the latter species.

The unusual method of preserving the holotype of N. battonii , the only known specimen of the species, allow its limited redescription, partially integrated with the original one by Beier (1966).

Figures

FIGURE 119. Map depicting known distribution of Neobisum species with troglomorphic facies from central and southern Italy.

FIGURES 45–47. Neobisium (N.) battonii Beier, 1966, female holotype, Grotta Risorgenze di Stiffe (San Demetrio ne’ Vestini, Abruzzo). 45, trochanter, femur and patella of right pedipalp, dorsal view; 46, right pedipalpal chela, dorsal view; 47, same, antiaxial view, with magnified details of teeth.